Torch coral skeleton showing?

fishman21 · Jan 14, 2024

My torch coral skeleton has slowly been showing more and more. Please see attach picture. I was away for a week and my alk and magnesium dropped a little nothing critical but that is when it started. It’s been about two weeks everything has been back to normal but the torch still seems not okay? Any suggestions will help! I already did a chemiclean dip per LFS.

Mr. Mojo Rising · Jan 14, 2024

more details will really help, a "little change" shouldn't have that much effect. How long have you had the coral? How old is the tank? What is a "little", can you give specific parameters? What about other parameters? As much info as possible will help.

fishman21 · Jan 15, 2024

Mr. Mojo Rising said:
more details will really help, a "little change" shouldn't have that much effect. How long have you had the coral? How old is the tank? What is a "little", can you give specific parameters? What about other parameters? As much info as possible will help.

Hi Mr.Mojo thanks for the response. I have had the coral about 7 months. Tank is a little over 5 years old. My magnesium dropped from 1350 to 1250 the week I was gone. Alk dropped from 8.3 to 7.8. I usually keep around 8.5 right now is 8.6 My phosphate is .18 but I have always had high phosphate as I have a small back sump that is hard to fully get all the debris out. I have a jbj45. Nitrate 1.0 calcium 480. I have a flame angel black ice clownfish and six line wrasse. I use a 4 stage system and Red Sea coral pro salt. Any suggestions for lowering phosphates?

fishman21 · Jan 20, 2024

Anybody have any suggestions? The coral is still slowly decaying

crazyfishmom · Jan 20, 2024

Those drops would not, in my opinion, cause tissue recession in most healthy torches. I wonder if there is something bacterial going on in the tank or whether lighting/flow might be to blame. With torches and most coral that are not acros sometimes it takes months for them to start to decline. I also think that if the alkalinity/magnesium drop did cause something, it would take more than a couple of weeks for it to start showing signs of recovery.

What kind of PAR/flow is it getting where it is at? Have you considered dipping in the event that there's a bacterial condition causing it to slowly lose tissue?